The idea of supporting local manufacturing is popular.  Many people say they would pay extra for products made in the USA.  But do they really?  One entrepreneur decided to find out.  He wanted to know if customers would actually spend more for a product made in the USA.  So, he did an experiment.

He tested this idea with a product he sells: a special filtered shower head.  He normally gets some parts from Vietnam and has the final product made in China.  He wanted to see what would happen if he made everything in the USA.  He found out that making it all in the USA would cost three times more.  So, he put two versions of the shower head on his website.  One was made in China and cost $129.  The other was made in the USA and cost $239.

He didn't ask customers what they thought.  He didn't do a survey.  He wanted real data.  He wanted to see if people would actually buy the more expensive US-made version.  Over several days, more than 25, 000 people visited his website.  Guess how many bought the US-made shower head?  None.  Not a single purchase.  But over 3, 500 people bought the cheaper version made in Asia.

This experiment showed that people might say they want to support American products.  But when it comes to actually paying more, they often choose the cheaper option.  The entrepreneur was shocked by the results.  He thought people would be more willing to pay extra for US-made products.  But the data showed otherwise.

Now, he's looking for other countries to make his products.  He can't stay in China because of the high tariffs.  And making everything in the USA is too expensive.  He's trying to find a middle ground.  He might have to raise prices to cover the costs.  But he's not sure yet how he'll do that.  He might test different pricing strategies to see what works best.

This experiment raises some interesting questions.  Do people really mean it when they say they want to support local manufacturing?  Or are they just saying that?  And how much are they really willing to pay for it?  These are important questions for any business owner to think about.  It's not just about what people say.  It's about what they actually do.

Does Buy American Really Mean More Sales?

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